The sound of summer in Malaysia : Wolverine : The Origins

 The free tickets

As Malaysia only has one season which is humid and hot (unless you count rainy season as a season, which is not as we get rain every month of the year) summer is known to us when the summer movies take to our shore like a duck taken to water. It was never like this before until piracy (of the movie kind, not the Somalian or the Carribean kind) is acknowledge to have always started in Asia way before it reaches the American audience. 

Malaysia was once one of Hollywood studios greatest enemy in movie piracy when we can watched movie far earlier than when it reaches our shore. We would have seen nearly 20 of the 30 release that year before we even know they are on our screen. And mind you, these are not just mainstream movies but include Sundance or Cannes festival type of movies. See how affluent we are when it comes to movies.

That is until Hollywood wisen up. They realised to get us on their side, we must be shown first the movie even way before those in United States themselves. We have been having premieres for the past 3 to 4 years of popular movies that would have made all the Hollywood stars coming in droves. Here, you don't need that. We are so advanced in our taste of pop culture that you just need to put a label saying 2 days earlier than worldwide release. I have been to a few of those and this summer, mine started with Wolverine : The Origin. Thanks to a credit card from a bank.

It was supposed to start with the Fast and Furious movie but I didn't win the blogging contest I entered and I watched it like any other normal man on the street. However, this time, I went outside the system (of blogging) and win the tickets by shopping at a shopping complex which allow me to redeem the tickets at the branch of the bank issuing the credit card. I redeemed it at the last minute on the last day it was allowed as I was too busy spring cleaning.

My hope (written before seeing the movie):

It is a bad-ass whoop them up without mercy and no one cried except one instance showing Wolverine turning from a child abused and needing love to what he is. The simple word I would be looking for : NO MERCY. I loved Gambit when I first laid eyes on him with his stick and his overcoat. X-Men wouldn't have won in the Phoenix Saga if not for Remy (Gambit real name) hadn't found the Achilles heel in the bubble that Phoenix built around herself. Gambit power is finding the most vulnerable spot in one's power. The issue about leaked footage and the geekdom lamenting the White Queen is not as powerful as she should be, I couldn't care less as I am more interested in that Wolverine vs. Victor Creed's fight.

So, I have high hope for it though I bet Transformer will still be the highlight of this summer.

My review (written after seeing the movie) :

Ok, just got back from the movie. For real comic fans, it is not really what you have read when you read Wolverine : The Origin. As always, Hollywood took liberty. A lot of it. For movie lovers and those who understand how films work, here is the low-down. What were explained are why Wolverine hates Sabretooth so much, what is the relation between Colonel William Stryker and him (X-Men 2), how he lost his memory, why his name is Wolverine, why Canada and him can never be separated, why the cover of the comic has him looking like a lumberjack and lastly for the ladies, Hugh Jackman was naked for 3 to 4 minutes but of course the kind of nakedness for a kid to understand. There was romance but there was no sex. Just innuendo of it.

My verdict? It is passable as a summer movie but it won't be the greatest one out there with Star Trek, Transformers 2, Terminator 4, Harry Potter (is it 6 or 7?) and John Langdon 2 (better known as Angels & Demons) coming in the next two months. As last year went, Wolverine will be the Hulk as people will be torn whether to like it or not but it did make decent money.

Now for this coming Friday, I was told through an email I will get to see Star Trek earlier than anyone else thanks to a blog directory website. Woohooo.....!!!!!!!!